Flail-type material spreader with load opener

ABSTRACT

A machine comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hopper having a top opening extending therealong, a flail shaft extending axially along the hopper and journaled at its ends thereon, a plurality of flexible chain flails secured to the flail shaft at locations spaced therearound and at locations spaced therealong, a material breaking and displacing device fixed to the flail shaft between adjacent flails thereof.

United States Patent 2 [111 3,

[72] inventor Paul G. Lindgren [56] References Cited Albert City, Iowa 50510 UNITED STATES PATENTS [21] P g' i 2,715,482 8/1955 Juzwiak 222 239)( [221 He d 19" 3,048,409 8/1962 Elwick.... 239/658 [45] Paeme 3,392,922 7/1968 Lindgren 239/658 Continuation-impart ofappllcation Ser.N0. 3 414 199 12/1968 Ferris 239/658 516,853,Dec.28,l965,n0w PalentNo. 3,392,921 FOREIGN PATENTS 649,054 9/1962 Canada 239/658 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Michael Y. Mar Attorney-Berman, Davidson & Berman [54] FLAlL-TYPE MATERIAL SPREADER WITH LOAD OPENER 2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs. ABSTRACT: A machme comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hopper having a top opening extending therealong, a

[52] U.S. Cl 239/658, flail shaft extending axially along the hopper and journaled at 259/46, 222/239 its ends thereon, a plurality of flexible chain flails secured to [51] Int. Cl E0 1c 19/20 the flail shaft at locations spaced therearound and at locations [50] Field of Search 239/658; spaced therealong, a material breaking and displacing device 235 fixed to the flail shaft between adjacent flails thereof.

PATENTEDJANISIBYI $559,413

SHEET 1 0F 2 INVENTOR. Q 6. 1/4/0625 [fro/aw: ms

PATENTEU JAN 1 9 I97| sum 2 or 2 A n I I 1 I I I I I I I I I n w Ans FLAIL-TYPE MATERIAL SPREADER WITH LOAD OPENER This is a continuation-in-part of application, Ser. No. 516,853, filed Dec. 28, 1965, now US. Pat. No. 3,392,922.

This invention relates to flail-type spreaders, and more particularly to a load opener for incorporation in or application thereto as an accessory.

In the operation of flail-type spreaders or unloaders, when the material being handled is relatively compacted or solid, as when frozen, or the material while otherwise relatively fluid, 1 contains solid or compacted chunks of material, difficulties in uniformly unloading or spreading the material are experienced, which difficulties include damage to the machines, total or partial failure to properly unload the material, until the material has been thawed out and/or has been broken up and mixed by hand, at considerable loss of time and labor.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of a load opener device, either in the form of an original component of spreaders or unloaders, or as an accessory applicable thereto, when the need for the same arises, which takes the form of at least one disc fixed on the rotary shaft which carries and operates the existing flails, the disc having, on its opposite sides, vane means which are arranged and constructed to split up and displace compacted material present in the hopper of the machine, as the flail shaft is rotated, whereby the material is broken up into a condition in which it can be flailed effectively by the existent flails and unloaded out of the hopper.

Another object of the invention isthe provision of a device of the character indicated above, wherein the vane means comprises substantially radial vanes, fixed to the opposite sides of the disc, which are angled, relative to the plane of the disc, so as to effect a cleaving and separating action on the material in the hopper, as the disc is rotated.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, wherein a single flail is operatively secured to one side of the disc, near its perimeter, which aids in the breaking up of material in the hopper, the disc being provided, on its opposite side, at a location diametrically opposite to its single flail, with a-lateral counterbalance weight which serves not only to counteract the centrifugal effect of the single flail, but acts as a hammer, aiding the breaking up of the material.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substantially conventional form of flail-type spreader, equipped with a device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view of said device;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary vertical section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another form of center disc and associated parts;

FIG. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an elevation of the disc of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, a spreader S is shown, which comprises a horizontal, longitudinally elongated hollow, wheeled hopper H, of cylindrical cross section, having front and rear end walls 10 and 12, respectively. The sidewall 14 of the hopper, which extends for substantially two-thirds of the way around the hopper H, from the bottom thereof, defines a longitudinally elongated, horizontal rectangular opening 16, out of which material present in the hopper is adapted to be discharged or unloaded. An arcuate cross section cover 18 is hinged along an edge of the sidewall 14 to partially cover the top opening 16. The cover 18 is narrower than the opening I6, so that when closed, a relatively narrow discharge opening 16 is defined, between the cover and a related side of the opening 16, through which the material is adapted to be discharged.

A flail shaft 20, positioned axially in the hopper H, is journaled at its ends. through the hopper end walls 10, I2, and, at its forward end, is operatively connected. as indicated at 22, to a drive shaft 24, leading to the drive of a tractor (not shown) to which the machine is hitched by a draw bar 26. The flail shaft 20 is rotated, in the hopper H, in a direction to discharge material out of the hopper opening 16.

The flail shaft 20 has secured thereto. at intervals therealong, flails 28, which consist of fully flexible chains 30. having T-shaped hammers 32, on their outer ends, which nor mally are positioned, close to the sidewall 14 of the hopper H, and which, when the shaft 20 is rotated, are adapted to flail material present in the hopper and fling the same out of the hopper.

In accordance with the present invention, at least one material breaking and disintegrating device 34, is fixed around the flail shaft 20, in the space between adjacent existing flails 28, preferably near the longitudinal center of the hopper H.

The device 34 comprises a single flat circular disc 36, substantially smaller in diameter than the hopper H, and having a peripheral edge 38 which is concentrically spaced from the hopper sidewall 14.

For ease of installation on the flail shaft 20, the disc 36 is preferably composed of two similar semicircular sections 40, formed in their straight diametrical grooved and interfitted inner edges 42, with notches 43, which conformably receive and engage the shaft,20. Circumferentially spaced radial ears 44 are suitably affixed to the shaft 20 and bear against the opposite sides of the disc, and bolts 46 extend through the ears 44 and the disc sections, so that these sections are fixed together and to the shaft 20. The disc sections 40 are secured, relative to each other, by means of straps 47, bridging the sections, and welded, as indicated at 49, to one section and traversed at their other end by a bolt 92, in one case, and in the other by a bolt 64, which extends through the other disc sections.

Oppositely angled vanes 48 are fixed to the front and rear sides of the disc 36, as by means of weldings 50, the vanes 48 being disposed on the same radii of the disc, at locations equally spaced from the edges 42 of the sections 40 on which they are fixed, and extend radially from the shaft 20 to the peripheral edge 38 of the disc. The front vane 48, as shown in FIG. 2, is angled forwardly and downwardly relative to the disc 36.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vanes 48 are in the form of radially elongated flat plates which have relatively narrow parallel-sided rectangular inner end portions 52, and relatively wide outer rectangular inner end portions 52, and relatively wide outer rectangular end portions 54, the outer edges 56 of the portions 52 being fared, as indicated at 58, into the radially inward cnds of the outer edges 60 of the portions 54. The outer edges 60 of the outer end portions 54 are, like the outer edges of the inner end portions 52, parallel to the disc 36.

The vanes 48 are disposed at similar trailing angles, relative to the disc 36, and its direction of rotation, indicated by an arrow 62, in FIG. 2. While the vanes 48 can be disposed at different angles, relative to the disc 36, a good working arrangement is obtained by using an acute angulation thereof, as shown.

At a point close to the peripheral edge 38 of the disc 36, and close to the inner edge of the related disc section 40, a bolt 64 traverses this section and extends to opposite sides thereof, and a spacer sleeve 66 is circumposed on the bolt 64, which engages the relates side of the disc section, but is spaced from the head 68 of the bolt. A single abbreviated or short flail 70 is journaled on the bolt 64 between its head 68 and the adjacent end of the sleeve 66. The short flail 70 is located in the path of travel of the front vane 48, and is preceded by the front vane as the disc 36 is rotated in the material to be handled.

The single flail 70 comprises a relatively short rigid chain 72 composed of a single flat rigid link 74 which is journaled, at its inner end, on the bolt 64, and a pair of flat rigid links 76, which bear against the opposite sides of the single link 74, and

are pivotally secured thereto, at its outer end, as by means of an inner headed pin 78. At their outer ends, the links 76 are similarly pivotally secured, as indicated at 80, to a centered lug 82 of a T-shaped hammer 84, the links 76 being engaged with the opposite sides of the lug 82. The hammer 84 comprises a rectangular transverse cross head 86, on the outer end of the lug 82. As indicated in FIG. 2, the outer extremity of the hammer 84, when in pendant position, as shown, or when centrifugally extended, is in line with the outer extremities of the hammers 32 of the existent flails 28v However, the single flail 70, due to its shortened length and the manner of its pivoting to the disc 36, can swing, relative to the existent flails 28, and relative to the disc 36, in shorter arcs, as the disc 36 is rotated, and can rotate completely around its pivotal point, independently of the position of rotation of the flail shaft 20 and the existent flails 28. Because of this arrangement, and the fact that the single flail chain 72 is not free to flex and swing laterally, relative to the disc, as are the flexible chains of the existent flails, the sphere of action of the single flail 70 is designedly confined to the area adjacent to the disc 36, for predetermined and positively maintained breaking up action upon material present in the hopper H, in the region of the device 34, and the disc's vanes 48. The coactions of the vanes 48 and the single flail 70 serve to effectively split and break up the material through positive action thereon, which the material cannot resist to the extent that it can resist the action of the existent flails 28. As a result, the material acted upon by the device 34 is broken up and is progressively made available to the normal action of the resistant flails 28, for uniform discharge out of the hopper H, onto the ground.

The unbalancing weight and centrifugal action represented by the presence of the single flail 70, and its action, as the disc 36 is rotated, is counterbalanced, by means of a counterweight 90, which is positioned on the other of the disc sections 40, like the single flail 70, and is diametrically opposed thereto.

The counterweight 90 comprises one of the bolts 92, extended through the disc 36 and having a head 94, engaged with the strap 47 on the single flail side of the disc and extending beyond the other side of the disc, and through a disc 96 which is held against the related side of the disc 36.

FIGS. through 9 shows an alternative arrangement of flails and blades on the central disc which under certain conditions has been found to be singularly effective. ln FIG. 5, the shaft 20, chains 28 and flail lugs 32 are identical with those discussed in connection with the preceding figures.

in F lG. 5, the shaft is shown carrying the chains 28 with their flail lugs 32, as previously described. At the center of the shaft 20, however, is mounted a disc 100.

On one side of the disc 100 is mounted a flail arrangement generally designated 102 while on the opposite face and diametrically opposed is a similar flail generally designated 104.

On the same face of the disc as the flail 104, but spaced 90 to lie between the flails 102 and 104, is a blade 106 while on the opposite face of the disc 100 and diametrically opposed to theblade 106 is a similar blade 108.

HO. 6 shows the flail 104 in detail and it may be assumed that the flail 102 is substantially identical. The flail 104 is secured to the disc 100 by means of a bolt 110 having a threaded end 112 to provide a shoulder 114 to bear against the disc 100. A nut and washer 1 16 engage a threaded portion 112 firmly clamping the bolt 110. A bushing 118 is freely mounted on the bolt 110 adjacent the disc 100 while a similar spacer 120 surrounds the bolt 110 adjacent the bolt head 122. An arm 124 is mounted on the bolt 110 so as to be freely rotatable around the bolt.

Adjacent its free end the arm 124 is pierced by a bolt 126 which acts as a pivot for either one or two L-shaped lugs 128 and 130, either or both of which are freely rotatable around the bolt 126.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the brackets 106 and 108 will be seen made up of a rectangular horizontal leg 132 flatly secured to the disc by a pair of bolts 134. A second leg 136 is trapezoidal in outline with its wider end adjacent the periphery of the disc and, as best seen in FIG. 7, is bent at an acute angle so as at least partially to overlie the heads of the bolts 134, the precise angularity is not critical.

The blades 106 and 108 are extremely useful at initial startup. Once the disc 100 is rotating freely, actually it would matter very little which way the blades were inclined relative to their direction of motion. At startup, however, with, say, frozen material to be cleared, it is advisable that the blades move in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 7. So far as the flails 102 and 104 are concerned, the direction of rotation is totally immaterial.

FIG. 8 applies whether the flail be ofthe type shown in FIG. 6, that is, flail 104, or of the type shown in FIG. 9, wherein a slightly different flail is given a general designation 136. Referring briefly to H0. 9, the flail 136 is mounted on a bolt 138 having a threaded portion 140 of less diameter than the portion 138 and secured by a nut 142. Adjacent the disc 100, the bolt 138 freely receives a spacing washer 144 and adjacent the head 146 the bolt freely receives a spacing washer 148. An arm 150 is mounted to be freely rotatable on the bolt 138 and to it is rotatably secured an L-shaped flail lug 152 held by a bolt 154. A spacer 144 need be of a thickness only sufficient to provide clearance with the head 156 of the bolt 154.

Referring now to FIG. 8, it will be seen that the arm 150 and the flail lug 152 may be swung as a unit in the circle designated B, while relative to the arm 150 the flail lug 152 is freely rotatable within the circle designated C. Of course, the disc 100 as a whole rotates with the shaft 20. In actual service, all of these motions will occur and, of course, will be modified by contact with the material to be loosened up. In the case of the form illustrated in FIGS. l-4, only movement within the circle B is possible which results in repeated shock loading on the pivots 78 and 82. The forms of FIG. 59, therefore, may be expected to enjoy a longer work life than those of F lGS. 14.

No doubt, a reading of this disclosure will suggest to those skilled in the art various modifications of the particular structures herein described. The invention, therefore, is not to be limited to precise details described and shown but only as set forth in the subjoined claims.

1 claim:

1. A machine comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hopper having a top opening extending therealong, a flail shaft extending axially along the hopper. and journaled at its ends thereon, a plurality of flexible chain flails secured to the flail shaft at locations spaced therearound and at locations spaced therealong, a material breaking and displacing device fixed to the flail shaft between adjacent flails thereof, said device comprising a disc axially circumposed on and fixed to the flail shaft, and vane means fixed on the opposite sides of the disc, said vane means comprising radial vanes, said vanes being angled relative to the plane of the disc in a direction away from the direction of rotation of the flail shaft, a single flail secured to one side of said disc adjacent the peripheral edge of the disc, said single flail comprising a rigid chain pivoted at its inner end to the disc, a hammer mounted for complete rotation on the outer end of saidrigid chain, a second single flail secured in counterbalancing relation with respect to said first single flail to opposite side of said disc and adjacent the peripheral edge of said disc at a point on said disc diametrically opposed to said first-named single flail, said second single flail comprising a rigid chain pivoted at its inner end to said disc, and a hammer mounted for complete rotation on the outer end of said last-named rigid chain.

2. The machine of claim 1 in which the pivotal mounting of said rigid chains to said disc provides for complete rotation of said flails on said disc. 

1. A machine comprising a hollow generally cylindrical hopper having a top opening extending therealong, a flail shaft extending axially along the hopper and journaled at its ends thereon, a plurality of flexible chain flails secured to the flail shaft at locations spaced therearound and at locations spaced therealong, a material breaking and displacing device fixed to the flail shaft between adjacent flails thereof, said device comprising a disc axially circumposed on and fixed to the flail shaft, and vane means fixed on the opposite sides of the disc, said vane means comprising radial vanes, said vanes being angled relative to the plane of the disc in a direction away from the direction of rotation of the flail shaft, a single flail secured to one side of said disc adjacent the peripheral edge of the disc, said single flail comprising a rigid chain pivoted at its inner end to the disc, a hammer mounted for complete rotation on the outer end of said rigid chain, a second single flail secured in counterbalancing relation with respect to said first single flail to opposite side of said disc and adjacent the peripheral edge of said disc at a point on said disc diametrically opposed to said first-named single flail, said second single flail comprising a rigid chain pivoted at its inner end to said disc, and a hammer mounted for complete rotation on the outer end of said last-named rigid chain.
 2. The machine of claim 1 in which the pivotal mounting of said rigid chains to said disc provides for complete rotation of said flails on said disc. 